Page 106 of The Devil In Blue
Lura whimpered behind me. She had never seen the creation of a familiar and I was sure it was a bit jarring since she was one herself. Naeve pulled her close and patted her hand.
Briar glanced up at me, her eyes asking if she’d done things right. I gave her a soft smile because she did wonderfully.
And then we heard it. The first breath of life. It echoed within the ruins as specks of white began to gather around the stones, dancing in a swarm of smooth, white vapor. Briar watched anxiously as they started to swirl upward into a smoky column. Reaching out, she took my hand and squeezed, showing me a tiny glimpse of her nervousness.
As the smoke cleared, before us stood a man, tall and shredded in lean muscle. His skin was as white as smoke and his hair was long and pale silver. He dawned eyes in a slightly lighter shade than Briar’s and a face with young, handsome lines, full lips, and expressive brows.
Briar was staring…
So were Lura and Naeve.
The clearing was silent and warm with the man’s presence. I regarded him closely, astounded at how well Briar had done. She’d done a little too well because Naeve’s heartbeat had just doubled in speed. I could hear it.
I glanced at her and raised a brow but she hardly noticed.
“It worked,” Briar said, slowly letting go of my hand and walking toward her new companion.
I followed a step behind, watching as she lifted her fingers to touch his face. It was her way of proving things were real and I found her doing it to almost everything she believed was too beautiful or too fantastical.
The man’s eyes were curious, reflecting Briar’s personality immediately. He watched as she stroked his cheek and then circled him, taking in every detail of his very real, very handsome, form.
I tossed Naeve another look and caught her snapping her lips shut like she’d been drooling.
“Do you have a name or shall I give you one?” Briar asked.
The man’s lips stretched into a crooked grin, flashing one of his sharp incisors.
“I don’t have a name,” he said, his voice just as perfect as his face. “But, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to choose one myself.”
Briar beamed at that request. “Of course.” Then she met my gaze, her wide smile full of pride and excitement. I reached out and she took my hand, coming back to my side. “He’s handsome, isn’t he?” she whispered.
I gave him another glance and found his eyes had finally discovered Naeve ogling him from across the clearing. But once Briar addressed him again, his attention was hers and no one else’s.
“I’m Briar. And this is—”
“The King of the Glyn,” he finished, staring right at me with eyes that seared right through. “You love him so very much.”
Fuck.
The way he said those words felt almost as potent as when Briar said them to me. I broke eye contact and glanced down at her with a forced smile.
“You’ve done a bit too well,” I muttered.
Briar chuckled, but when she caught the seriousness in my face, she stilled.
“Really?”
“I—I can show him around,” Naeve volunteered, stepping forward.
She seemed nervous. I’d never seen her nervous before.
What in the realms had gotten into her?
“Of course,” Briar said, her gaze narrowing on me.
“Good idea,” I said. I braved another look at the very naked man standing in the clearing.
“Shouldn’t I bond with him or something, though?” Briar said.
